Do you have a desire to serve the scientific community outside the lab (i.e. apart from research careers), which is tailored towards critically analyzing papers including those outside your field of expertise? If yes, you just could be a perfect fit for a career in scientific publishing.
There are a number of things you need to pay attention to in order to land your dream editing job:
Get involved with writing and editing early
Publishing is an extremely competitive area. In order to get ahead, while you are still in the lab, prepare to be an editor outside. Spend time reading scientific news and recent publications in top journals. This is one thing that defines academic editors—they love to read scientific papers. Offer to write and edit research papers, literature reviews, lab reports, etc.
Always remember that understanding is key
An editor is supposed to act as a liaison between the author and the audience. You need to have a broad interest in science and a willingness to learn. Beyond being a good writer, editing has to do with understanding science and scientists, and this is why scientific journals strictly make use of scientists. The key skill in any publishing position is a strong understanding and appreciation of the topic, so you need to spice up how much you know and understand.
Demonstrate your ability
Practice your writing, editing, and communication skills, both written and verbal. Your success in this field is dependent on how well you can communicate. Be involved in relevant extracurricular activities. To build your brand, start your own scientific communication social media account, blog, newsletter, and/or portfolio of written work. To instead your online visibility, you could also actively contribute to writing for other blogs related to your field of expertise or those associated with newspapers or journals.
Extra tips
• Work only on topics/works that are both true and interesting.
• To build your experience in the publishing industry, seek out for editorial internship, if possible.
